Cook&#39;s cap



Dec. 15, 1931'. H WAGENFELD 1,836,141

COOK 5 CAP Filed Feb/8,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 15,1931. H. WAGENFELD COOK 8 CAP Filed Feb. 8, 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY WAG-ENTELD OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. 'ASSIGNOR TO KEYSTONE ADJUSTABLE CAI CORPORATION, .A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OOOKS GAP Application filed February 8, 1980. Serial No. 426,861.

This invention relates to so-called cooks caps and the like; and the objects and nature of the invention will be understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the follow- 5, ing explanation of the accompanying drawings that illustrate what I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expression or embodiment of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a cap, or the like, particularly designed as a sanitary head covering for those who prepare, handle, or dispense food products, that can be produced at low cost of comparatively inexpensive mate-rials preferably by quantity production methods, and that frictionally fits or grasps the head and retains its position thereon against easy accidental displacement therefrom, and that will be capable of yieldingly expanding to fit heads of 1 various shapes and sizes to avoid the uneconomical necessity of making such caps, that must sell for a very low price, in many different sizes.

-With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists of a cooks cap or the like, involving certain novel features,

and advantageous structures, formations and 39 combinations, as more fully and particularly explained and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof Fig. 1 shows in perspective,- a cap embodying my invention fitted on and expanded to yieldingly grasp and retain its position on a head.

Fig. 2 shows the cap in side elevation in its 4 normal contracted form.

Fig. 3 shows the cap in side elevation expanded to fit a head of larger size.

Fig. 4 shows the cap in perspective with the ends of the head band separated and bent outwardly and down, with parts partially separated and detached.

Fig. 5 is side elevation with the head band partially broken away.

A Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectionon the line 6-6, Fig. 5; and,

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective with parts broken away.

The cap, of the particular example of my invention shown by the drawings, consists in major part of an annular flat stiff et flexible exterior vertically-wide head band 1, and a fabric crown 2, preferably composed of inexpensive light or thin woven net-like fabric of the characteristics of cheese cloth or the like. The band 1, surrounds the annular lower portion of the upwardly domed.

folds 2a, at the bottom edge portion of the crown are secured flat to and a ainst the interior of the band 1, by the stitc ing 3, except where necessary to permit expansion and contraction of the lower part of the .crown, to increase and decrease the diameter thereof, as the band 1, expands and contracts in diameter.

The head band 1, is composed of a long strip ofpaper or fibrous material preferably fabric faced and usually starched, or more or less heavily sized, to render the same quite stiff yet sufliciently flexible to function as required of a head band possessing the characteristics of my invention. Both longitudinal edge portions of this long flat stifi strip, are folded or doubled back onto the same side of the strip, the inner side of the strip when bent to form, to provide the head band 1 with a permanent short inner depending top flange 1a, and a permanent inner short upstanding bottom flange 16, thereby forming the head band with transversely doubled external longitudinal top and bottom edges 10, and with internal longitudinal top and bottom slides or guideways. The

band 1, thus formed is bent into ring or annular form with its opposite ends longitudinally and slidably overlapping and telescoping by longitudinally inserting one end A, along the inner side of the other end B, and under the top and bottom flanges la, 16, thereof. While the interlapped ends A, B of the band 1 are freely slidable relative to one another circumferentially of the band,

' to let it conform to the head of a wearer,

yet this does not require any relative angular or transverse movement of the ends indeed, such movements are substantially prevented by the interengagenient of the ends A, B as shown and described.

The extremity of the end B, of the head band 1, can if so desired, be provided at its inner side, with a vertical fabric or other suitable retaining strip 5, connecting and at its ends secured to the flanges 1a, 1b, of said end B, see Fig. 4, to brace said flanges and the strip end B, against flaring or deforming and to guide the band end A, and retain the same within the end B, for free slidable movements longitudinally of said end B.

I preferably provide the head band 1 with means, in addition to the crown 2, to preven or restrain undue separating movement of the head band ends A and B. and to preferably yieldingly maintain or hold said band ends overlapped to maximum extent and the band 1 contracted .to its minimum diana-r-ter and to yieldingly resist expansion of said band under a constant tension to contract the same to its minimum diameter. For this purpose, in the example shown, I provide, an elongated strip of flat contractile elastic or elastic webbing 6, at one end stitched or clipped to the band A, preferably to and between the flange 1b, of said end and the body portion thereof and extending therefrom longitudinally of the band end B, along and within its bottom flange 1b, to which the other end of the elastic 6 is stitched or clipped at a suitable distance from the extremity of band end A. The elastic 6, constantly tends to contract to its normal length and to contract the head band 1 to its normal minimum diameter, and expansion of the head band tends to cause relative outward longitudinal sliding of the band ends A. B, one on the other, and longitudinal stretching of the elastic 6, whereby the band 1 can be expanded to fit down on the head and is retained thereon by said band contracting tension of the elastic which is not of sufficient strength or power to exert objectionable pressure on the head of the wearer. Thus the elastic connection 6 is normally concealed by the band 1. yet is accessible from above between the band 1 and the crown 2 and the flange 1b whereby the crown is connected to the band.

In the example shown, the annular lower edge portion of the crown 2, is secured by the line or lines of stitching 3, to the upper longitudinal edge of the upstanding bottom flange 1b, of the head band 1, which serves approximately as a sweat band, and also, in

effect, forms a downward extension of the crown 2 to the lower edge of the visible main outer portion of the band 1. The line of stitching 3, is not, however, continuous throughout the full circle of the crown 2, unless provision is otherwise made for the expansion and contraction of the depending annular portion of the crown 2 with the expansion and contraction of the head band 1. In the example shown, this joint expansion and contraction is provided for by the tucks or gathers 2a in the depending annular skirt of the crown 2 and by leaving one end of the head band 1, for instance band end A, Fig. 4, free of the crown skirt. In other words, the crown skirt is not secured by stitching 3, to the band end A, for the required distance from the extremity of said end to permit said end to telescope within the end B, and to permit the desired range of expansion and contraction of the cooks These caps are produced in folded flat form for economical packing and handling, and can be easily expanded and pulled down on the head and thereupon the head band 1 yieldingly expands to the size required to comfortably fit the head, within a comparatively wide range of sizes between the minimum size and the maximum to which the cap can beexpanded without tearing or entirely separating the band ends A, B.

What I claim is 1. A cooks cap and the like consisting of an expansible exterior stiff yet flexible head band of paper-like material having a lower comparatively narrow upturned edge and also having its opposite ends longitudinally telescoped and slidably confined together, and a net-like crown having a depending skirt gathered in folds with the free edge outwardly-upturned and secured to said lower upturned edge portion of said head band, with one end of the latter free to accommodate expansion and contraction of the cap as a whole.

2. A cooks' cap and the like, embodying an expansible and contractile head band formed by an elongated flat sheet of stifi material with its longitudinal edge portions folded or doubled down on the inner side of the sheet, one end of the band longitudinally overlapping the inner side of the other end under the flanges thereof, said ends being relatively slidable longitudinally to expand and contract the head band, and a crown having its depending gathered skirt arranged at its lower portion within said band and secured to the upstanding bottom flange of said band.

3. A cap of the character described formed by m: outer stifi', wide, expansible band portion having its ends telescopically interlapped and yet freely slidable circumferentiall relative to one another, to let the band conorm to the head of a wearer, together with an inner crown portion of soft fabric having its edges gathered and secured to the inside of said band portion, and means elastically interconnecting the telescoped ends of the band inside the latter but outside the connection of the crown thereto, so as to be normally concealed by the band and yet accessible from above between the band and the crown.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 4th day of February, 1930.

HARRY WAGENFELD. 

